ater, food and shelters for the tens of thousands of homeless: these are the main needs of the population of the southern coast of
Bangladesh three days after cyclone Sidr devastated the entire area between last Thursday and Friday, leaving a still unspecified number dead.
Based on the latest official toll indicated by Mohamed Golam Mostafa of the Disaster Management ministry, 2,407 are confirmed dead “based on reports from police, public hospitals, military officials, relief workers and aid agencies”. However, many believe that the toll of 10,000 dead, estimated yesterday by the Bangladesh Red Crescent Society, could rapidly be reached. Just in the past 24 hours, government rescuers recovered nearly 600 bodies and there are still many areas that relief workers have not been able to reach.
An increasing number of witnesses also continue to report dead bodies floating in the waters of the Gulf of Bengal. According to the latest government toll, the worst his areas by the cyclone are Barguna (717 confirmed dead) and Bagerhat (669), followed by Patuakhali (330) and Pirojpur (285). Dozens were also killed in Barisal, Madaripur, Jhalakathi, Bhola, Gopalganj, Shariatpur, Satkhira, Khulna and Faridpur.
We used to rely on tube-wells and ponds for drinking water. All the 16 tube-wells in my union parishad went out of order and ponds became reservoirs of salty waters after the tidal surge
The situation of the survivors is becoming more difficult by the hour. The local press this morning reported numerous testimonies of communities without food, water or shelters. According to the top local Daily Star newspaper, the people of Barguna, after a night out in the open, this morning took the streets begging for water and food. “We used to rely on
tube-wells and ponds for drinking water. All the 16 tube-wells in my union parishad went out of order and ponds became reservoirs of salty waters after the tidal surge”, said Sultan Mahmud, head of the Noltona village in the Barguna area.
The international community, to which also the Pope yesterday made an appeal, has already
mobilized to help Bangladesh, while the government should have a precise estimate of damages caused by Sidr by the end of the week. A meeting with international donors is set for next week, while the government of Dhaka has already asked for at least $25-million.
The devastation caused by the cyclone to crops, the fishing sector, livestock and infrastructure, raises fears however that the overall toll of damages may be much higher.
(From MISNA)